Chapter 25 - Reality Check (2/2)

After Lei Xing had her bath, she got dressed and made her way to the empress dowager's palace. When she arrived. Noble consort Li approached her with a smile, Lei Xing managed a small smile back an stood facing forward.

...I'm not sure what to make of you yet...

”Noble consort Lei, are you feeling better?” Noble consort Li asked.

”En.” Lei Xing nodded in her direction and faced forward.

”That's good...”

”En.” Lei Xing simply replied again, she cast a side glance at Noble consort Li and saw that she was looked down a bit fl.u.s.tered, it seemed she was trying to find something to say, and of course, Lei Xing wasn't helping the conversation with her curt replies either.

...This is a bit sad...even though she's not a friend, I shouldn't make her hate me more right?...I could at least...That's bothersome, not a fan of stupid mind games...but she was telling the truth so...she may have also tried to poison me...but the ring was being weird...there's no way to prove that now so...my verdict, in this case, is guilty until proven innocent!...

Lei Xing pretended like she didn't notice Noble consort Li's internal struggle and looked forward, thankfully it didn't take long before they were summoned in. After they greeted her, the empress dowager glanced at Lei Xing, ”Xing'er you came too? You didn't have to, you should have rested more.”

...What did she just call me? I felt shivers run down my spine...I hate it when people try to pretend to be familiar with me...it's creepy!...

Lei Xing politely smiled and bowed, ”I thank your majesty for your concern but I am perfectly recovered now. I will make sure to be more careful in the future not to worry you again.”

The empress dowager scrutinized Lei Xing for a while and then said, ”En. That's good.” and then turned to the others, ”You should all resume your studies from yesterday.”

They all bowed to her and then went to sit down and opened the book on their table. The maids quietly came up with tea and snacks and left them on their tables. The dowager just quietly sat on the main seat, sipping her tea overlooking them and occasionally quietly talking with Song mama.

...Is this woman this bored? or is this some sort of power trip? How dull -_-)'...Also, what is her problem with me? If she has any issues with me being here, she should go pick it with her son who put me in this bloody situation and leave me out of it!... Actually, if she could go do that and they come to a conclusion to kick me out on a technicality or something...I will be eternally grateful to her...

Lei Xing inwardly sighed and read the stupid book all the while not eating or drinking anything, she knew better than to risk it after the events of yesterday, plus the fact that she did not have the ring on her reinforced her lack of interest.

***

”I thought you were avoiding me?” The emperor said with a raised eyebrow as he watched Lei Yong walking into the royal study.

Lei Yong looked at the emperor and smiled, ”Why would this subject dare to avoid the emperor?”

”Really? I waited for you to appear all day...and all I received was a soldier reporting in your stead and an apology about being unable to make the journey. I assume you must have gotten lost somewhere along the journey, right?” The emperor finished in a sarcastic tone.

”Oh, the scenery of the palace has really changed a lot lately, I apologize for my tardiness, it will not happen again.” Lei Yong said as he put his hands forward and bowed in ”apology”.

The emperor laughed and after a while said, ”Why didn't you tell me?”

Lei Yong straightened up and asked, ”About?”

The emperor raised an eyebrow at him and then Lei Yong dropped the act and sighed, ”I thought she should be treated fairly like the others.”

The emperor didn't say anything and just kept staring at Lei Yong. Lei Yong sighed again and then said, ”Actually, my parents didn't want her to enter the palace...I thought to leave it up to fate...”

...Fate?...Peculiar term here...

The emperor frowned in thought and then said, ”Your parents were right...entering the palace is not anything good.” Then he looked at Lei Yong with a serious expression, ”If I had known, I also wouldn't have let her enter.”

”That's the main reason why I didn't tell you...the thing is...” Lei Yong looked at the emperor and then looked to the side sighing again and then looked back at him and said, ”Actually, she likes you...”

The emperor looked at Lei Yong and frowned, and then burst into a short laugh, ”Who?”